What We Are Reading

The U.N. nuclear chief dismissed Iran’s allegation his agency may have been infiltrated by saboteurs and voiced concern about “intensive activities” at the Parchin military installation that his inspectors want to examine.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will map out a plan Thursday for making energy a centerpiece of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. In a speech at Georgetown University, Mrs. Clinton will argue that “energy diplomacy” can strengthen America’s allies, help counter potential rivals and, by fostering economic growth around the world, ultimately help strengthen the American economy.

North America has seen the world’s sharpest increase in the number of natural catastrophes during the past 32 years, a trend that in some respects is linked to manmade global warming, according to a report released Wednesday from the global reinsurance giant Munich Re.

Astronomers say computer models have accurately forecast conditions on Mars and are valid predictors of climate change on Earth. These computer programs predicted Martian glaciers and other features on Earth’s planetary neighbor, a U.S.-French team of scientists found.

There will be plenty of losers from Russia’s recent decision to end two decades of cooperation with Washington on cleaning up nuclear and chemical weapons sites left over from the cold war. Russia will now have to pay for such efforts on its own.

Fusion energy holds the promise of all the benefits of nuclear fission, without the downsides. Research at the National Ignition Facility is progressing, but the NIF failed to meet a fiscal year deadline. Despite the setback, scientists believe they are on the right path.

A new report shows a trend of increased defense spending among Asia’s major military powers, with China’s military budget accounting for nearly half of all spending in the region. It’s a trend that reflects one reason why the Pentagon is heavily focused on increasing its presence in the region.

With the pivot to the Asia-Pacific region already in motion, the US military is restructuring its forces to better position for operations in a theater of oceans and islands. Leaders have identified some creative solutions to deal with the theater-wide transport and ship-to-shore movement challenges they anticipate facing in the Pacific.